🔗 Share this article

Through a thoughtful interview, the acclaimed performer delves on subjects as varied as her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons learned through onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

Given the Chance to Become a Sea Creature for a Day

The most recent role is the monarch of the cuttlefish in The Pout-Pout Fish; if you could be a fish for a day, which one would you choose and why?

Without hesitation, that particular fish found at a specific shoreline – because it’s like an institution, and people go there specifically to spot it. It strikes me it’s cool that there’s a local fish that people actually go and see and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Favorite to Return To

What film do you repeatedly watch, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this film. During my childhood, it would air on television occasionally, and one time I recorded it. I found it was hilarious. It stars the legendary Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Not long ago they were playing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of a friend of mine, and so we attended and just laughed repeatedly. It’s such masterful work of comedy and the entire cast in it are fantastic. The director Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – which was not successful. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, to be watched regularly.

A Priceless Lesson Gained Through a Co-Star

What is the most valuable lesson you took away from someone a colleague?

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – my husband now, but back then we were not together. We portrayed characters opposite each other and on opening night I tripped up – I skipped forward a few lines in the script. I was unaware of my error but I abruptly sensed things were off. I recall looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then the scene regained momentum and went really, really well. But I think what I learned in that moment was, firstly, always trust the individuals in your scene. When you lose your place, by looking and look at the people sharing the stage with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be somehow. It’s such communal thing, performing live. And next, to maintain a sense of fun regarding it. Sometimes when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive direction if you’re fully engaged then. It can be an unexpected boon when things go absolutely awry.

Heartening Exchanges with Fans

Can you describe your most memorable interaction with a fan?

It’s not just one specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, I hear a lot of stories about what Eowyn impacted them when they were growing up … things that had happened in their lives and the extent to which Eowyn signified for them and was some kind of help to them in those times.

Which questions get asked about the most by Lord of the Rings fans?

The most specific inquiry concerns invariably regarding that infamous meal her character prepares for Aragorn. “Did that stew taste really that bad?” It has evolved into such a joke, the whole thing about the stew, and all fans wish to know the contents of the pot, and its preparation method, and in your opinion she’s a better cook now, or do you think she really is a bad cook? People are, I think, obsessed with the humour of that scene. And I go into lengthy descriptions describing the ingredients that constituted the concoction – as I recall the efforts made; such as put bits of red cotton to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed extreme measures to render it as bad as possible.

A Cringeworthy Star Encounter

What was your most embarrassing run-in with a famous person?

I attended a pilates class and there was a woman on a mat exercising, and the instructor remarked, “Oh, Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I made a lighthearted remark inquiring, “oh, are you a journalist?” Since Miranda is an unusual name and often when I meet another Miranda, they’re a journalist. I wasn’t really seeing who it was. And when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for what to say. I still had to stay and do my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I am aware of your work!” I consider her talent is immense and I was just too starstruck to say anything.

The Origin of a Moniker

Articles have confidently claimed that you were given your name from Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet you've mentioned stating otherwise – can you settle the matter definitively?

Yes – I was named after the Sydney suburb. My mother heard on the radio that they were inaugurating a mall at that location, and the name seemed a nice name.

Chaos on Location

What was the chaotic thing that’s ever happened on set?

While working in Brazil for the film Reaching for the Moon I experienced the most chaotic set of my career, and yet the final product turned out incredibly well. But the local crew operated in such a different way. The sense of time there is really different. Typically, you receive a call sheet and you have to be on set punctually. But this was rather open ended – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a really different way of working for me. All aspects were all coming together at the very last minute, and at times they wouldn’t know the next location the next day the methodology. And then you’d be in the middle of a scene and be like, “What was that noise that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was a crew member opening a bottle on set, because he’s making a party.” The result was excellent, but wow, it’s a distinct style of film-making.

A Hidden Skill

Do you have a secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I retain numbers more readily than I learn dialogue a lot of the time, I’ve just got that kind of a brain. So I believe if I hadn’t pursued acting, I likely might have worked in involving numbers, like mathematics or finance.

The Best Piece of Advice Ever Received

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever received?

When I was in high school, someone came to speak as we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … which I think is supremely valuable counsel, since one gains far more from failure than is gained from triumph. Success, one rarely understand exactly how it happened. Failure, the lessons are abundant.